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The Development Bureau today (February 24) promulgated the new Urban Renewal Strategy (URS).
"The Chief Executive announced in his Policy Address in October last year that the Government would consult the public on a draft text of the URS which had been drawn up based on broad consensus built after an extensive public engagement process that lasted two years. We published the draft text for a two-month public consultation between October 13 and December 13, 2010 and attended two special meetings of the Legislative Council Development Panel to listen to public views. By the end of the consultation period, 74 written comments were received. We have considered all these comments and took on board certain comments in finalising the URS that we are publishing today," a spokesman for the Development Bureau said.
"The URS is a government strategy to be implemented by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) as well as relevant government departments and other stakeholders. The Development Bureau has issued the URS to the URA to guide it in its preparation of the coming year's Business Plan and 5-year Corporate Plan," the spokesman said.
"Urban renewal is crucial to city development and embraces multi-faceted social and economic dimensions. It will have to evolve in light of changes in society. We have accordingly revised the text to make it clear that the URS will be renewed from time to time.
"The public will continue to be fully consulted in any future review as required under the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance," the spokesman added.
As regards progress in implementing the various initiatives in the new URS, the spokesman said that action was in hand to set up the Urban Renewal Trust Fund and the first District Urban Renewal Forum (DURF) in Kowloon City. Appointment to the Fund's Board of Trustees and the Kowloon City DURF will be made by the Secretary for Development and announced in due course.
The new initiatives under the revised URS will apply to redevelopment projects commencing after the promulgation today.
Copies of the new URS are available at the Public Enquiry Service Centres of the District Offices, public libraries, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, URA's Urban Renewal Exploration Centre at 6/F, Low Block, Grand Millennium Plaza in Central, and the Property Management Advisory Centres of the Hong Kong Housing Society. The document can also be downloaded from the website at www.ursreview.gov.hk.
Ends/Thursday, February 24, 2011
Issued at HKT 12:41
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